Steering machine



Sept. 16, 1930. A. A. JoHNsoN STEERING MACHINE Filed July 13, 1928 y INVENTOR.

17 Mm BY-L Mardi ,gg 1,4 ATTORNEYM Cal Patented Sept. 16, 193() raar erica ALTION A. JOHNSON, GF SUPERIOR, W'SCONSIN STEERING- MACHINE Application filed July 13,

My invention relates to steering machines and has for its object the provision of a steeringmachinel embodying means for automat- 'cally cushioning the helm in the event of an excessive blow against the rudder; means for automatically stopping or reversing the motor when said cushioning means is fully compressed, and means for autoinaticaly varying the speed of an electric follow-up controller to conform to the speed variations of the helm in its path of travel. l/Vith these and other objects in view, it consists ot the structures, combinations and arrangements oi' parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, F ig. l, is a diagrammatic view of a portion of a master controller and of a distant follow-up controller, omitting a relay system. Fig. 2, is a steering gear primarily controlled by said master controller. Fig. 3, is a section, partly in elevation, on the line A-B oi' Fig. 2. Fig. 4, is a hori- Zontal4 section on the line C-D of Fig. 3. Fig. 5,.is an end elevation of the hereinafter described elliptical gears, showing in cross section the shaftsupon which they are respectively mounted.

In the drawings, l is a lead from any suitable source of electricity, not shown, to a master controller 2, from which the current iiowsto a distant follow-up 3 and relay system, not shown, of any suitable construction adapted to govern the flow of any suitable power fluid to any suitable motor, or engine, as to an electric motor 4l.

' .The master controller preferably embodies a manually operatable switch lever or circuit closer 2 adapted to be moved into circuit closing contact with any one or other of any suitable number of'contact points, as 2b, 2c, 2d, which are connected by electrically parallel conductors with corresponding points 3b, 3, 3d,'in the follow up. Said iiollow-Tup preferably embodies a motor-operated or rengine-operated switch lever yor circuit closer of any suitable "form, as the ring 3 adapted to contact with saidypoints '81, 3, and' 3d, and additional points, if any, for similar purpose, which ring'embodies two conducting segments insulated from each other as by blocks'" and 3f of insulating material.

192s. semi No. 292,512.

One of said conducting segments is connected, as by the wire or brush 3g with any suitable stationary conductor as with the concentric ring 3h which is spaced or insulated from said ring 3a. The other of said conducting segments is connected as by the wire or brush 3i with a ditl'erent stationary conductor as with the concentric ring 3j, which is spaced or insulated from the rings 3a and 3h.

Fromeither one of said stationary rings, as from the ring 3, a conductor, as 3k, conducts the current to any suitable relay, not shown, adapted to govern the supply of a power fluid for operating said motork or engine ahead; and from the'other or said stationary rings ay conductor as the wire 31, conducts the current to any suitable relay, not shown, adapted to govern the supply of a power fluid for reversing said motor or engine.

One of said insulating blocks as 3e is adapted to cut any of said'points 3b, 3C, 3d, or additional points, out of circuit when said block comes opposite to such point; and if such point should at the moment be in circuit with said source and witheither of said relays to admit power iiuid to said motor or engine, said block will open the relay circuit, thereby effecting. the discontinuance ofthe flow of power fluid to said'motor or engine unless the circuit through yone of said relays be established through a different one of said points. v

It will be observed that it is not the present purpose-to claim, by this application, any invention in either said master controller, orl follow up, or relay system per se, and` that any suitable master controller, tollow-up,or

relay system heretofore known tothe art,

or otherwise, may be used by me in construcing my invention. l

Said engine or motor is adapted to rotate a screw shaft, or worm 5 to which it is connected by any .suitable transmission means, as by a train ot gears, not shown, contained in a gear case 5a, which shaft engages a sleeve 6 mounted upon a crosshead 7 which is adapted to reciprocate upon a slide 8 preferably extending transversely of the vessel upon 'which said steering gear is operated.

Said crosshead has mounted therein a journal block 9 extending vertically at right angles to said shaft and preferably offset from the vertical plane thereof, which block is normally centered between any suitable number of stiff cushion springs, as 10, 11, extending parallel to said shaft.

Mounted in said journal block is a pivot post 12 upon one end of which is a tiller sleeve as 13 adapted to receive the swinging end of a tiller 1a, which is secured at its opposite end to a rudder post 15. If desired, the opposite end of .said pivot block may also be provided with a sleeve, as 16, adapted to re-k ceive one end of a similar, or supplementary tiller, as 17.

One of the conductors between said rings and said relays as the conductor 3k has interposed therein a switch as 3m which is preferably positioned on said crosshead and is adapted to be operated by said pivot block when said block has reached the limit of its travel in one direction in opposition to said centering springs at that side; which switch is adapted to open the circuit of the active relay, as the forward relay, and thus stop the motor, or engine, or is adapted to automatically switch the relay current from the forward relay to the reverse relay and thus reverse the motor until the excessive compression of the adjacent centering springs, ef* fected through the rudder post, tiller, and pivot block by an excessive blow or pressure against the rudder, is relieved and the pivot block, under the impulse of said centering springs moves away from said switch 3m. Said switch 3m is then returned to its normal circuit by a spring, as Bn. rlhe other of the conductors between said rings and said relays, as the conductor 81 has interposed there in a switch as 3p which is preferably posin tion-ed upon said crosshead at the opposite side of said pivot block and is adapted to be operated by said pivot block when sai-d block has reached the limit of its travel in that direction and when the cushion or centering springs at that side of the pivot block are fully compressed, which switch is adapted to switch the relay current from the reverse relay to the forward relay until the excessiveV compression of the centering springs at that side of the journal boX has been relieved; the `switch 31 is then returned to its normal circuit by a spring 8f mounted on said crosshead.

It will be observed that the tiller will swin faster at or near its central position than it does at or near the right or left ends of its path of travel, becausethe power applied to said crosshead is exerted at right angles to the tiller at the central position and more or less obliquely with respect to theitiller at other points in its line of travel, while the applied power is directed at right angles to the follow-up lever or ring 3a at all points of its position. lt being necessary that the follow-up and thetiller shall moveat the same variable speed and keep step with each other, I have interposed suitable elliptical or variable speed gears 1S and 19 in a Vpower transmission from said screw shaft to the follow-up, which transmission preferably also includes a worm 20, a worm gear 21, and such other gears, if any, as may be necessary to transmit the power from said screw shaft to the follow-up shaft, as, if necessary, the gears 22, and 23 adjacent to the followup and relay case 24.

The screw or worm may be journalled at its end 5l in any suitable bearing, not shown, and the adjacent end of said slide may be mount-ed upon anyL suitable support; but it usually is desirable to make said machines in duplicate, except that said slide, said screw' or worm 5 and said crosshead and parts carried thereby are common to each of said ma` chines. Thus if one motor, or one follow-up are at any time out of repair, the duplicates, not shown, may be used to operate said shaft, and in such event the end 5" of said shaft and the adjacent end of said slide are connected to and supported by bearings or supports in the duplicate structure.

What I claim is@ A V1. In a steering machine, the combination of a master controller, a follow-up controller, a prime mover governed by said follow-up, a slide, a crosshead mounted upon said slide, a worm engaging said crosshead and adapted to reciprocate-the same along said slide, transmission means adapted to be driven by said prime mover and to drive said worm, a post mounted in said crosshead and adapted to move therein parallel with said worm and independently thereof, yielding means'for centering said post intermediate of the ends of its path within said crossh'ead, a tiller sleeve onsaid post and adapted to receive and slide upon a rudder tiller extending at an angle to said worm, means forauto matically reversing the follow-up while said post is approximately at either end of its path of travel in opposition to said centering means, and transmission means between said worm and said follow-up adapted to vary the speed of the follow-up to conform t-o the variable swinging `speed of the tiller.

' 2. The combination of a master controller, a follow-up controller, a prime mover governed by said follow-up, a worm, transmis'n sion means adapted to be driven by said prime mover and todrive said worm, a traveler engaged by said worm and adapted'to be reciprocated thereby, a tiller sleeve pivotally mounted upon said traveler and adapted to move thereon parallel with said worm and independentlythereof, yielding means for centering said sleeve intermediate of the Vends of its path on said traveler, meansl for' automatically reversing the follow-up 'while said sleeve is approximately at either end of its path in opposition to said centering means, and transmission means between said worm and said follow-up adapted to vary the speed of the 'follow-up to conform to the variable turning speed of the tiller.

3. The combination of an electric master controller, an electric follow-up controller, a. worm, a prime mover governed by said follow-up, transmission means adapted to be driven by said prime mover and to drive said worm, a traveler engaged by said worm and adapted to be reciprocated thereby, a tiller sleeve pivotally mounted upon said traveler and adapted to reciprocate thereon parallel with said worm and independentlythereof, yielding means for centering said sleeve between the ends of its patlion said'traveler, and means forv automatically cle-energizing the immediately prior active relay magnet of the follow-up while said sleeve is approximately at either end of its path in opposition to said centering means. f

4. The combination of a master controller, a follow-up controller, a worm, a prime mover, transmission means adapted to be driven by said prime mover and to drive said worm, a traveler engaged by said worm and adapted to be reciprocated thereby, a tiller sleeve pivotally mounted upon said traveler and offset transversely from said worm and means for driving said follow-up at a variable speed conforming to the varying turning speed of the tiller.

5. The combination of a reciprocable traveler, means for reciprocating said traveler, a lever, a sleeve adapted to slide on said lever,

said sleeve being pivotally mounted on said traveler and adapted to reciprocate thereon under an excessive lateral impulse by said lever. and yielding means for cushioning said sleeve between the ends of its path of reciprocation on said traveler in the absence of such impulse, said lever being adapted to extend at various angles to said yielding means depending upon the varied positions of said traveler in its own 'line of travel.

6. The combination of a reciproeable traveler, means for reciprocating said traveler, a rudder tiller extending at an angle to the path of said traveler, a sleeve adapted to slide on said tiller, said sleeve being pivotally and reciprocatably mounted upon said travf eler and adapted to reciprocate thereon independently of the movement of said traveler but in a path approximately parallel to the path of said traveler, and yielding means for cushioning said sleeve between the ends of its independent path, said tiller being adapted to extend at various angles to said cushioning means.

7 The combination of an electric master controller, an electric follow-up controller, an electric motor governed by said follow-up, a worm driven by said motor, a traveler driven by said worm, a tiller extending at an angle to'said-worm, ,a sleeve adaptedto slide on 'said tiller, said sleeve beingpivotally mounted on said traveler and further adapted toreciprocate thereon `approximatelyparallely with said worm and independently 'of` the movement ofsaid traveler, yielding means lpositioned, ori said traveler for nor-y mally-'centering said sleeve-between the ends of its path of reciprocation upon said trav'- eler, electric reversing switches in the circuit of the follow-up, a corresponding one of said switches being adapted to be operated by said sleeve to reverse said motor when said sleeve is approximately at either end of its path of independent reciprocation on said traveler, and resilient means for automatically returning said operated switch to its normal position and circuit when said sleeve retreats from the corresponding end of its said independent path of reciprocation.

8. The combination of a reciprocable traveler, means for reciprocating said traveler in a straight path, a lever, a sleeve adapted to slide on said lever, said sleeve being movably mounted on said travelervand adapted to reciprocate thereon under an excessive lateral impulse by said lever, and yielding means for cushioning said sleeve intermediate of the ends of its path of -reciprocation on said traveler.

9. The combination of a traveler, means for reciprocating said traveler, a lever, a sleeve adapted to slide on said lever, said sleeve being movably mounted on said traveler and adapted to reciprocate thereon under an abnormal lateral impulse by said lever, and means for automatically reversing the movement of 'the means for reciprocating said traveler when said sleeve is approximately at eitherl end of its path of travel on said traveler. a

10. The combination of a traveler, means for reciprocating said traveler, a lever, a sleeve adapted to slide on said lever, said sleevebeing movably mounted on said traveler and adapted to reciprocate thereon under an abnormal lateral impulse by said lever,

and means for automatically reversing the movement of the means'for reciprocating said traveler when said sleeve is approximately at either end of its path of recipro-y cationon said traveler and for reinstating the previous moveinentof the means for reciprocating said traveler when said sleeve has retreated from reversing position near an end of said path.

11. The combination oi a reciprocable izo adapted to reciprocate thereon under an abnormal lateral mpulseby said lever, and an eleotricreversing switch for reversing the (iireetion of the current through, said motor when said sleeve is at an end of its path of reciprocation on said traveler, said switch being adapted to be moved to reversing position by Vsaid sleeve.

In testimony whereof, I

sig-nature.

ALMON A. JOHNSON.

hereunto aix my 

